


A Vintage Wine and A 1958 Corvette

by PumpkinLily



Series: Froger Week 2020 [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Freddie Mercury Lives, Growing Old Together, Love, M/M, Scrabble, always lots of love between Freddie and Roger, mentions of Roger's fictional nieces and nephew, soft boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27739789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinLily/pseuds/PumpkinLily
Summary: “Roger, in case you forgot, it’s your turn to play.”He looked at the tile rack again and grimaced. Right, that was the problem, how could he make a word with only consonants and so few free vowels on the board? Most importantly, how could he even hope to win now?!OR: A quiet evening at Roger's house, with his partner and husband Freddie.
Relationships: Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor
Series: Froger Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029138
Comments: 18
Kudos: 22
Collections: The Froger Week 2020





	A Vintage Wine and A 1958 Corvette

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! ❤ Happy Froger Week 2020 everyone! 😊 I can't wait to read everyone's work!! Seeing so many new Froger fics makes me very happy 🥰
> 
> Anyway, here's one of my contributions to this wonderful event, mixing day 2 prompt "Growind old together" and day 4 "Playing Scrabble until 6 A.M" (and also a bit of last year "50th birthday prompt). The others will come eventually 😂
> 
> ❤ Have a good read! ❤

Freddie’s sneeze snapped him from his thoughts.

“…Bless you.” Roger said as he raised his eyes from the tile rack.

What time was it again? How long had they been sitting here playing Scrabble? Two hours? Three? A quick glance at the elegant black and white clock on the wall indicated it was nearly two A.M. _Already?!_

“Thank you darling.” Freddie responded with a smile, before looking at his lap with an even larger smile.

He glanced at his right; on the couch, amongst the cushions and the remains of colourful wrapping paper, laid a lone grey joystick. What was the name of that video game Maia and Victor had been playing by turns earlier, with the upbeat but obnoxious music? The one Freddie had loved commenting-

“Roger, in case you forgot, it’s your turn to play.”

He looked at the tile rack again and grimaced. _Right_ , that was the problem, how could he make a word with only consonants and so few free vowels on the board? Most importantly, how could he even hope to win now?!

“Of course, even if you make a very good score…”

When did they start playing Scrabble together? Probably somewhere around ‘73 on their first tour, when they were young, broke and hadn’t taken over the world yet. Bloody hell it felt like a lifetime ago. Anyway, Scrabble wars had begun more than twenty-five years, and if Freddie had now wrinkles and silver locks in his black hair, his small but annoying pre-victory smile hadn’t changed one bit.

“Well, if I can’t win this one we’ll just start another game.” And another, if one try wasn’t enough. “I’m not going to remember my birthday by losing every game of Scrabble today.”

“Isn’t there a saying? Lucky in love, unlucky at games or something like that?”

“I think that’s the contrary.”

“Mmh, well I much prefer this one.” Freddie declared with a warm smile and a sparkle of fondness in his brown eyes.

Roger smiled back, heart a bit lighter. Few things were as ordinary but as beautiful as the look and the smile of his partner. Even the golden ring they both had around their finger wasn’t as precious.

Could he- no, no free I on the board, so he couldn’t write RING. And of course they had slotted their words together like Lego pieces, so good luck placing a longer word somewhere. He’d have to make a poor word, would never be able to catch up and would eventually lose. _A_ _gain_.

Only the regular ticking of the clock echoed to his despair. Freddie had his eyes down again. His lap, hands and attention were probably occupied by Rio, _their baby_ as they’d met the fur ball during one of their travels together. And of course, when Rio was within easy reach Freddie couldn’t not pet him.

“Roger.”

He raised his head. “What?”

“Well…” Freddie stayed silent for a moment, staring into space. “I mean, I can’t believe we celebrated your fiftieth birthday today.”

Roger opened his eyes wide, faking surprise. “Fifty?! The candles only said twenty-five.”

“I thought surgery had fixed your eyesight darling.” An amused smile appeared on Freddie’s face. “But, remember, you can decide what to do with these numbers.”

“I’ll give them to Deaky, he always knows how to deal with big numbers.”

His pretty teeth flashed brighter behind his lips. “C’mon, it’s not like you were a dinosaur either.”

True, but some mornings the mirror only sent Roger back his grizzled hair, wrinkles and the fullness his face and body had acquired, especially over the last years. Time’s marks could be hard to ignore. And some comments from his youngest niece about the 70s as if it was a century ago didn’t help. Well, in regards of certain societal aspects she wasn’t really wrong, but still.

“…I mean, really if you were a dinosaur then what would _I_ be?” Freddie asked with a grimace.

“A dinosaur three years older?”

A corner of his mouth raised. “…True, I suppose. But, dinosaurs frankly aren’t a very attractive picture, so I’ll rather say I aged like fine wine. And so did you darling!”

“Oh-” A sheepish smile appeared on Roger’s face. “Fred, that’s nice but-” The metaphor was more appropriate for his partner than him. “Sometimes with what Claudia says I rather feel like I’m a cheese platter.”

Freddie let out an undignified snort. “I mean- wine and cheese go very well together!”

A fine fare lover like him certainly wouldn’t say the contrary, but comparing him to _cheese_! “Fred, if I have to be something old I’d rather be a Corvette C1!” Especially the 1958 model with two double headlights on the front. “Cars are elegant, not old and mouldy.”

“Yeah, yeah, I guess you can be a pretty car if you want.” Freddie said with a wretched indifference. “But really, Roger.”

“What?”

Another smile brightened his beautiful face. “You’re a very handsome man. There’s not a thing I dislike in you. Except a few of your fashion choices maybe.”

Oh oh. “If this is about my mullet period-”

“No no we left that _thing_ in the 80s.” Freddie hastily reminded as if saying the name would summon it again. “But that’s alright, we all made a few questionable fashion choices one day.”

“Ah, like your m-”

“My moustache had style!” Freddie assured with a frown. No one had the right to criticise his late moustache. “In comparison your mullet was just… pure chaos. Something incomprehensible.”

His mullet wasn’t an eldritch horror, dammit. “ _Anyway_ , I love you too.”

Surprise cut Freddie before he could say what he had in mind, and his slightly open mouth morphed into a gentle smile. “…Thank you dear.”

He laid a hand on his own and slowly caressed the back of his hand with his thumb, his look bright with affection. Roger hoped his own eyes sent back all the love he had for him. The luck of sharing his life, such an intimate friendship and relationship with Freddie, he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

“By the way, it’s still your turn.”

 _Right_ , Scrabble. “Yeah yeah, just… let me think.”

Roger lowered his eyes to the tile rack again and grunted. The letters weren’t more inspiring than before. If he couldn’t catch his score up so be it, but if he at least could get more than three or four points from this word, it would still be progress until his future moment of victory.

If he managed not to fall asleep before. Fatigue always faded away as concentration and thinking required his body to properly focus during a Scrabble game, but he wasn’t thirty anymore. And-

No, screw that, even if he had to slap himself to stay awake, he wouldn’t put his tile rack away before he won one game tonight.

“No- Rio come back!”

But Rio and his shiny black coat crossed the room with a light thread until he joined his secondary residence, the sectional sofa’s corner, and comfortably settled between two fluffy cushions. Freddie’s lap had many competitors for the title of “best nap spot”.

Freddie looked at their baby with happy eyes nonetheless, then straightened up then stretched his arms at length. Roger felt his own joints crack just by watching him. As a vintage of fifty-three years and a Corvette of fifty years, they definitely weren’t getting any younger, but his partner had kept nearly all this flexibility that had never failed to impress him, whether on stage or in much more intimate places.

Maybe- _no_ , _focus on the fucking board_ _and find a fucking word._

… _Hey-_

An idea popped in Roger’s mind, and suddenly his youth years seemed much closer. Freddie raised his eyebrows as he finally placed his single letter G on the board.

“GAG.” He commented, a slow smile spreading on his face. “Is there something you’re trying to tell me Roger?”

“Yeah, you’re talking way too much. I think I should make you shut up.”

“That’s a very interesting proposition, but I think I prefer when you make me scream.” He confessed with sultry eyes as he noted down his grand score of five points. “Anyway, thank you for not taking my spot.”

He continued to widen the gap with his next word ZOOID, but at least the triple letter score bonus on the letter Z had already been used a turn before. And he Roger desperately needed vowels, so thanks for that. Now he only had to get a E or a letter like that and he could-

“Oh fuck me.”

“What’s wrong dear?”

Roger stared at the V he’d retrieved from the letter bag and fantasised crushing it between his fingers. “’S the second fucking turn I only have consonants.” Clearly the universe hated him tonight.

Freddie showed him a compassionate smile, then took the sheet where they marked the score and folded the upper part. Roger stayed silent, curious, as he held it with his left hand and drew something on the lower part.

An excited little smile grew on his partner’s face when he eventually turned over the sheet and showed a little graphite Roger wearing sunglasses and a toothy grin, behind the wheel of his fancy cabriolet, under a sun that also had sunglasses and a toothy grin. The drawing’s traits were childlike but it made it even more endearing.

“Thank you Fred, it’s really cute.” He said as a fond smile spread over his face.

“Cars aren’t exactly my forte, but I’m happy you like it.” Freddie’s adorable smile could have lit the room.

“…I’m still losing though.”

“Well I can’t exactly help you with that darling!” He declared as he settled properly in front of the board again, ready to continue the game. “You’re my husband and I love you very much, but I’m not going to make a lower score on purpose.”

“Of course, of course.” Roger said, heart filled with affection, before lowering his eyes on his tile rack. “…I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it :) Don't hesitate to kudos and leave a comment, they're always appreciated.


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